Photographer Interview: Ignacio Pelaez Herrera Of Santiago Chile
Q: How would you describe your attention span?
A: Sometimes it’s a little difficult, because there’s always facts around you and your model or your place that obviously desconcentrate you, but i know that i must to be patient, try to not force the moments and situation, they always will come in some minute.
Definitely the result will be the expected and inclusive better than you imagined before the take the picture.
Q: How do you feel about missed shots which cannot be recreated?
A: it’s a shame, but not so terrible
Q: Do you like to talk about yourself or your pictures? If yes, about what aspects of photography? If no, why?
A: Well, i always try to not stay in just one way or style of photography, i like to make portraits and self portraits, shoot landscapes, photomanipulation.
Always looking for new ideas, characters, locations, concepts and messages. I think that everything or everyone is so interesting. i mean everything have something interesting to show and say to the world in a picture, i try to capture that in one frame and share with the world.
Q: When did you decide to become a photographer?
A: Four or five years ago, i chose to study Audiovisual Communications, that was the moment that i fell in love with the film and video, later i see myself so evolved into the photography, because in the deep, it’s the same principle, photography now occupies all my time, now i always walk in the streets and watch everything thinking in a composition, perspectives, tones, people, and i love it, that makes me happy.
Q: What does photography mean to you?
A: Photography is the ability to take a chunk of time, grab it and hold it much longer. Photographers in some way, make life not just one pass through the planet, create a record of a person, a place, an idea, one moment and we make eternal.
Q: Can you recall the first photo you took that made you go WOW!?
A: Mmm i think it was a photo that a made pointing to the sky, full of weird clouds, a scary tree in the right part and a black cat sleeping on the tree.
Q: Do you have any formal training regarding photography?
A: Yes, i have.
Q: How technical is your photography?
A: In the beginning was a little “independent”, just my camera. Now i have better equipment, flashes, triggers, umbrellas, etc.
Q: How do you feel about cropping?
A: I think it’s ok, is sometimes necessary, if not get a good composition in place, because there’s some object or subject it to interfere in the frame.
Q: Where is your favorite place to live and work as a photographer in the World and why?
A: I would like to live in Europe, there’s so many beautiful and historic places, different cultures, architectures.
Q: Define the word “beauty”!
A: Everything able to capture your interest, something that stops you and gives you many feelings, like a flower surrounded by stones, a person on the subway, a gray sky with the sun behind trying to be, an infinite field filled with smells and colours.
Q: How does your personality change when you look through the camera?
A: I lose the fear, i forget everything around me, i don’t think in anything else, just the moment, the picture and the result.
Q: Ever concerned about failure?
A: Yes, that helps you to get better results and not to do the same mistakes.
Q: Who are your influences?
A: I like Igor Amelkovich, Fabio Borques, but lately i enjoy so much the work of Benoit Paille, a famous french photographer for his serie called “strangers”.
Q: What is your favorite image, either your own or someone else’s or both? Describe its creation or meaning to you?
A: From another photographers: many
From my work: i like very much a set of photos that i made to my friend Sebastian “SirDial” for the promo of his new videoclip (that i directed with him): http://www.bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?id=4589984536&size=large&posted=1
I made a serie of landscapes mixed with typography, like a tribute for some songs “importants” to me, and i really like this one photo too: http://www.bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?id=4539126753&size=large&posted=1
I can’t choose just one picture, they all mean something to me.
Q: Describe a day in your personal or professional life.
A: For now i’m working in a independent agency with 2 partners, but it’s focus for film, spots and videoclips.
Q: What are the biggest personal or professional challenges you face on a daily basis?
A: The way each day is more people who get your camera, start to “work” without any study, which charge a lot less to customers.
That makes it very difficult for us to study and spent several years paying college.
Q: What has been the single biggest obstacle against growing as a photographer in whole?
A: In that way i have not had major difficulties, i worked to buy my equipment and i have always had the support of people who like my work
Q: What are your favorite subjects to photograph?
A: Portraits and landscapes.
Q: Tell your funniest, scariest, most bizarre, most touching story from a photo shoot!
A: In past February 27th, here in Chile we live a big earthquake, to the next day i went out to take some pictures of the city and it was so sad to see old beautiful buildings on the floor, the houses of the people totally destroyed, museums, art galleries, parks, everything was in ruins, that was very sad.
Q: Have you ever thought about or actually stopped doing photography? What were the circumstances?
A: No, Never.
Q: Do you ever have photographer’s block and if yes how do you deal with it?
A: No, never.
Q: Describe what black and white photography means to you?
A: To me, the B-W photography is stronger and more direct in her message, but requires more work with lightning.
Q: Do you think of yourself as an artist and what do you think of the word artist?
A: Yes, i consider myself an artist. I think it’s the way to express something in a not traditional way, i do that with a photo or video.
Q: How do you describe your photographic style?
A: Diverse, dark, vivid, different, pragmatic.
Q: What has been the most surprising or most predictable reaction to your photographs?
A: A man once told me that i am his inspiration for keep shooting and be a great photographer, That was very gratifying, because it means I’m doing a good job that people like and acts as an “inspiration” for other photographers.
Q: Tell a little secret about yourself that no-one knows …
A: I don’t like the macro photos of flowers.
Q: Who or what would you love to shoot that you haven’t already?
A: I really would like to photograph to the singer Björk, she’s has a strange and unique beauty and i love her music.
Q: What would you have done differently during your photography career so far and could this be an advice to others?
A: Be patient, sometimes you have to wait hours to get the perfect natural lightning. Be alert. Be attentive. Watch your environment. Be more sensitive. Looks for concept and messages for your photos, not just shoot.
Q: What are your thoughts on the paparazzi and their effects on photographers and photography?
A: I hate that, but it’s a job and always will be.
Q: How do you feel about digital manipulation and to what extent do you utilize it?
A: I think it’s fine, if is justified for give a concept or background to the image. A lot of my work is focuses to the manipulation, i enjoy that part of the work.
Q: What other thoughts would you like to share?
A: To the new photographers, please be more creative, play with lights without any fear, try new things, explore new things, techniques, go for the perfection in every shoot, be passionate, professional and enjoy this, because it’s beautiful, it’s magic.
